The dining hall smelled like rosemary and burnt candle wax. Sophia stood behind the kitchen door, her small palm pressed flat against the wood, her little sister Meera tucked against her side like a second shadow

For three days, the Moretti estate became a fortress.

Armed men in dark suits patrolled the perimeter twenty-four hours a day. High-definition security cameras monitored every inch of the pine forest surrounding the property. Inside, Elena worked alongside Rosa, preparing meals and taking care of her daughters, though the constant presence of heavily armed guards kept her on edge.

Sophia and Meera were not allowed to play in the garden. Instead, Mateo had converted a large room on the second floor into a playroom filled with books, art supplies, and games.

On the fourth evening, a violent thunder storm rolled over the valley, knocking out the main power lines across the sector.

The estate plunged into sudden pitch darkness.

CLICK.

The emergency generators hummed to life five seconds later, casting a dim, reddish light through the corridors.

In the security control room, Marco stared at a flickering monitor. "Sector Four camera is down! Check the perimeter fence!"

Before the guard could respond, a deafening explosion shattered the north gate of the estate.

The blast shook the entire mansion, rattling the glass chandeliers and setting off security alarms. Romano had not sent a small hit squad—he had launched a desperate, full-scale assault using two dozen mercenaries armed with high-explosive charges and heavy weaponry.

"THEY'RE INSIDE THE PERIMETER!" a guard screamed over the radio. "WE HAVE BREACH AT THE NORTH LAWN!"

Upstairs in the guest suite, Elena gasped, pulling Sophia and Meera behind her as the sound of heavy gunfire echoed from the floor below.

"Mommy! What's happening?" Sophia cried, holding her sister tight.

"Stay behind me!" Elena yelled, her heart pounding frantically against her ribs.

The sound of boots echoed down the third-floor corridor. The door to the suite was kicked open, and Marco rushed in, his face covered in soot, a rifle held tightly in his arms.

"Elena! Take the girls and follow me now!" Marco shouted over the alarms. "They bypassed the lower levels! They're coming straight for this floor!"

Elena didn't hesitate. She picked up Meera in her arms, grabbed Sophia’s hand, and ran after Marco into the smoke-filled hallway.

Down below, the grand foyer had turned into a warzone.

Mateo stood behind the marble staircase, firing his weapon with deadly precision into the incoming mercenaries. Glass shattered, wood splintered, and the air was thick with the smell of gunpowder. Romano’s men were pushing hard, desperate to reach the upper floors before Moretti’s reinforcements from the city could arrive.

"MATEO!" Romano’s voice boomed from the front courtyard through a bullhorn. "GIVE ME THE GIRL AND THE MAID, AND I'LL LEAVE THE REST OF YOUR HOUSE STANDING!"

Mateo’s face turned into a mask of pure, unadulterated fury. He reloaded his weapon, his knuckles turning white.

"Over my dead body," Mateo growled.

Suddenly, a group of three mercenaries broke through the side terrace doors on the second floor, cutting off Marco, Elena, and the children as they tried to reach the underground shelter.

"THERE THEY ARE!" one of the mercenaries screamed, raising his weapon toward Elena.